Click the links to view details on the art planned for each underpass.

The Parks Details:

These four underpasses are critical connections to First Street, NE (NoMa’s “Main Street”) and Second Street, NE, for the more than 18,000 residents and 40,000 workers in NoMa. They provide access to area attractions like NPR, Gallaudet University, Union Market, and the bustling H Street, NE corridor.

Through an international design competition, the NoMa Parks Foundation sought to identify design solutions that would transform these underpasses into positive experiences for all who pass through them and to vastly improve the pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular user experience.

The underpasses present special challenges given existing conditions and the variety of stakeholder interests. Underpass stakeholders include Amtrak, WMATA, DDOT, and other District agencies, and NoMa community members. The NoMa Parks Foundation has worked closely with each of these stakeholders throughout this process to ensure that all of their engineering, mobility and safety concerns are addressed.

In April 2014, the NoMa Parks Foundation launched the design competition. 248 teams from 14 countries entered the competition by providing their qualifications to produce and implement underpass improvements. 49 teams were deemed qualified by the NoMa Underpass Jury and received a Request for Proposals for specific design concepts. Next, 10 finalists received honoraria enabling them to further develop their design concepts for presentation to the community.

On October 16, 2014, all of the final design concepts were presented to the community for input on aesthetic concepts and functionality. Survey forms were available at the October 16, 2014 community meeting for the public to provide comments and ask questions about the submissions. Several of the finalists attended the meeting and responded to questions. Additionally, the NoMa Parks Foundation established a special website that presented the finalists to the community and collected input on which design schemes were preferred. Together, more than 370 public responses were received and considered. Extracts from submissions (each of which total more than 30 pages) that met budget, design and construction requirements can be found below:

Next Steps:

The NoMa Parks Foundation selected Thurlow Small Architecture + NIO architects (press release) for the M Street underpass; and Future Cities Lab (press release) for the L Street underpass. Contracts will require the designers to integrate landscape design concepts expressed in the Corridors and Pocket Parks Project and to further engage with the community as they proceed through design development.

The NoMa Parks Foundation staff, District agency representatives and community representatives have agreed that construction of the underpasses is beginning in 2016.

Community Engagement:

A community meeting will be held on Monday, July 13 to introduce the winning concept design for the L Street underpass. Join the NoMa Parks Foundation to view the concept, meet the design team, and provide feedback.